Dorothy Preserve

Our 337-acre Dorothy Preserve is in the midst of a swath of forest that stretches from the Wharton State Forest at the Mullica River through western Atlantic County to the preserved forests of northern Cumberland and Cape May Counties. This area, referred to as the Elwood Corridor, contains mostly intact forest at risk of development and fragmentation.

This preserve contains mostly oak-pine forest typical of the surrounding southern Pine Barrens. It is bisected by Stephens Creek, a tributary to the Great Egg Harbor River, which supports an impressive stand of Atlantic White Cedar. On the southern side of the property is an increasingly rare form of habitat known as Pine Barrens savanna. Areas such as this were more common when wildfires were more frequent. The sparse tree canopy in this area allows many native grasses and wildflowers, such as Blazing Star, Still-leaf Aster and Little Blue Stem, to flourish. To maintain this area, NJCF uses controlled burning and selective tree-cutting to keep the forest from overtaking the savanna.